Balls are boring or are they?
by Lord-Argent-fourth-of-his-name
Summary: Riza has a terrible time at the military New Year Eve Ball...


Just as every year Riza was attending the Military New Year's Eve Ball.

Just as every other year Riza was in foul mood…

Just as every other year she thought that Mustang had drunk more than his fill already, and it was only half-past ten…

Just as every year she did not get a decent dance in the whole evening…

Just as every year she ended up set aside by Mustang, though this year she could at least see the reason behind it, he was talking to some other cabal opposing the Fuhrer and the other officers flat out told him to come alone or not at all. At least it was not due to some girl ten years her younger and wearing dresses two sizes too tight… "Guess there is that," said Riza under her breath.

Summed up, just as every year the New Year's Eve sucked.

Riza looked around while weighing her options and decided that she can't do anything useful on her own. She briefly considered hunting down Havoc and ask him for a dance, but she has seen him a few minutes earlier talking to some brunette that seemed to like Jean a lot, Riza needn't do Mustang's work for him and destroy another of Havoc's dates for a bit of fun…

She decided that she might just as well have a drink herself, she would definitely sober up in time to drive Colonel, Fullmetal and Havoc home if needed. Riya strode in the bar walking through the group of giggling teenage girls out on the prowl, one of them made the mistake of looking down on Riza's dress uniform and commenting it loudly enough for Riza to hear.

Riza considered giving her full-blown dressing down for that but opted for a "mere" death glare that made the girl huddle closer to her friends and disappears with surprising speed. Having dealt with the obstruction she entered the bar. It was almost empty as she knew it will be at this time of the evening when everybody was still making their social calls and rounds.

Riza scanned the place for any familiar faces, both the ones she would like to join and the ones she would avoid. To her surprise only one fitting the first group was Fullmetal, he was sitting on the stool at the far end of the bar counter with a glass of something that definitely was not apple juice.

She briefly considered giving him a lecture over that, sixteen and a half was in her mind far too early to start on the spirits… But then she thought of several things. First, whether she liked it or not, Edward outranked her, and to give him a dressing down in the public would be bad form… Second if sixteen and a half was old enough to risk one's life with them, it was old enough to drink… She felt a bit hypocritical when she thought of that.

And thirdly, Ed was not a drinker and definitely not a habitual one at that. So if he felt the need for a stiff drink, there was likely a reason for it. Riza owed him to at least ask before she gives him a lecture if any lecture was in fact needed.

Instead, she sat on the stool next to Edward's and called at the bartender "a shot of whatever he is drinking" nudging her head toward Ed. He looked at her "Calvados, I'm drinking Calvados. We make it at Rosembool. Have more apples than we can eat or sell most years" By that time Riza got her drink and tasted it. It was not half bad even if she would still prefer a glass of dry white wine to any spirit. She smiled at Edward's explanation, he rarely talked of his hometown, though he loved the place, even if he would rarely show it.

He smiled back, a small smile, but a smile none the less "Got tired of watching Colonel Bastard for this evening?" he asked. Riza shook her head and explained ending with "And Edward, please call the colonel by his name in the public at least" He grumbled out something that could, with sufficient dose of optimism, be interpreted as an assent, before adding: "that's Bollocks, you have more guts than half of the general staff combined and unlike them you actually have a spine" said Ed like if he talked about some scientific constant. It made Riza feel a bit less pissed off about the evening, then she remembered that she wanted to ask Ed what happen.

"Don't often see you in bars, Edward, Something wrong?" she said as they finished their drinks and got a refill. Edward grimaced "yes, ever since our beloved boss made himself scarce it looks like every girl in that hall made me their mark. Except they are after the Hero of the People… Seem they don't go to the bar though, the place got its benefits…" he finished shaking his shoulders.

Riya nodded "Honestly I'm not surprised, right now, you probably are in top ten of the most eligible bachelors of Ametris. Hero of the people, Lieutenant-colonel by the age of sixteen, not to mention Alchemist and good looking, plus you are no longer twelve. She shook her head when Ed winced at her assessment and added: "It would be much better if you bring some date that would give most of these head-hunters a pause."

He nodded "will try that next year and thank you"

Riza smiled "Anytime, Edward, anytime."

They sat in silence for a while after that before Ed spoke again "You did not look like you were enjoying yourself at all, not even before Mustang disappeared, something wrong Lieutenant?"

Riza was surprised, did she really made such a poor job of hiding her displeasure with the event? No, Fullmetal was vastly more perceptive than most people gave him credit for unless they come to know Edward better. And they worked alongside each other for close to five years now…

Then she realised that she still did not answer Ed's question…

"It is probably a bit childish and it's nothing that Colonel did," she added fast before Ed could have jumped to any conclusions…

"Won't laugh, Lieutenant, besides legally I'm a child so who better to say a childish thing to?" he said with a grin.

Riya had to laugh at that. "It's that I haven't got to have one decent dance tonight, and I doubt I will, balls are supposed to be about dancing aren't they? Damnit!" she finished finally allowing herself to vent a bit of the frustration from the evening.

Edward was a bit taken aback, it was unlike Riza to curse in public, however mild a curse. He definitely would not laugh… "Hadn't know you love dancing so much, but I remember seeing you dance with some other officer, was he that bad?" he asked taking another sip of his glass.

"Yeah he was awfully nice and not a bad sort, but could not help himself to not step on my feet every five seconds, just what are they teaching the kids on the academy these days, we definitely had dance lessons" mused Riza and drank from her glass.

Ed sat in the silence for a moment before saying something again. He got an idea. Getting up from his stool he turned to Riza and said "come, let's go dance I'm not the best dancer ever, but Winry says I'm decent enough, she taught me during the rehab"

Riza shook her head "You don't have to dance with me out of pity Edward, but thank you for the offer, it's nice"

It was Ed's turn to shake his head and he replied: "Don't do this out of pity, you are a friend, Lieutenant, and you just gave me a piece of good advice if something I owe you one. Just didn't know there is anything about balls that you enjoy, had I, I'd ask you to dance much earlier"

Riza smiled "Alright, but only if it's no trouble."

Ed chuckled "Nah, at least I can go back and be safe from that hoard of teenagers"

Riza had to laugh "Saw you staring down eldritch horrors without a blink"

Edward frowned "that's different, prowling teenagers are much scarier. Going to need reinforcement if I am to go back there" He proclaimed seriously.

"So it's a mutually beneficial thing?" asked Riza getting up herself.

"Guess it is, coming or not?" said Edward sounding a bit exasperated.

Riza thought for a moment. It was awfully nice of Ed, even if he was doing it to repay Riza for her advice a while earlier. Had it been somebody else, she might even suspect some self-interest behind the offer. But not with Ed. If he said that he simply wanted to dance with her, because she was his friend, he meant it.

It looked like this New Year's Eve might not suck after all…

"Alright Edward, a few dances and then we'll see if there is a point to a few more, and thank you, it is nice of you to do this," said Riza before they walked off to the ballroom...


End file.
